3535. Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 8 October [1820]

3535. Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 8 October [1820]⁠* 

My dear G.

A week having elapsed without any appearance of the half notes, it seems prudent to enquire for them, lest they should have fallen into “ugly hands” upon the way.

Gifford has offended me by his impertinent castrations more than I have time to express just now. [1]  – I am going upon a five days excursion with Nash to Waswater & Furness Abbey – x one part of our object to get a dr sketch of Swartmore Hall – which was the residence of George Fox. [2] 

Cuthbert xxxx has gone thro a severe illness since I wrote from which thank God he now seems perfectly recoverd.

God bless you

RS.

Keswick. Oct. 8.

Notes

* Address: To/ G. C. Bedford Esqre/ Exchequer/ Westminster
Stamped: [partial] KESWICK
Postmark: [partial] 11 OC
Endorsements: 8 Octr 1820; 8 Octo 1820; 1820
MS: Bodleian Library, MS Eng. Lett. d. 47. ALS; 2p.
Unpublished. BACK

[1] Southey’s review of Benjamin Haydon, New Churches, Considered with Respect to the Opportunities they Offer for the Encouragement of Painting (1818) appeared in Quarterly Review, 23 (July 1820), 549–591, published on 5 October 1820. BACK

[2] George Fox (1624–1691; DNB), founder of the Society of Friends; Southey intended to write his biography, though this project was not realised. Fox visited Swarthmoor Hall regularly from 1652 onwards and in 1669 married its widowed owner, Margaret Fell (1614–1702). BACK

Addressee

Bedford, Grosvenor Charles (1773–1839)

People mentioned

Gifford, William (1756–1826) (mentioned 1 time)
Nash, Edward (1778–1821) (mentioned 1 time)
Southey, Charles Cuthbert (1819–1888) (mentioned 1 time)

Places mentioned

Furness Abbey (mentioned 1 time)
Keswick (mentioned 1 time)
The Collected Letters of Robert Southey, Part Six
About this Page